Endless conveyer.



PATENTED MAR. 3, 1903.

W. L. MGCABE. ENDLBSS CONVEYER.

APELLGATIO'N FILED Nov. 21, 1901 Y No. 721,725.

I0 MODEL.

. PAT'ENTED MAP.. 3.1903.

W. L. MGCABE.

ENDLESS GONVBYER. APPLICATION FILED Nov. 21, 1901.

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2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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I UNITED E STATES PATENT y OFFICE.

WILLIAM LEGGETT MOCABE, or SEATTLE, WASHINGTON,

ENDLESS CONVEYER.

sPEcIFIcATIoNferming peft of Lettere Patent No. 721,725, dated Meren 3, 1903.

v Application filed November Z1, 1901-` Serial Nm 83,206. (No model.) y

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that'I, WILLIAM LEGGETT Mo- CABE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Seattle, in the county of King and State of Washington, haveinveuted certain new and erated thereby, whereby the conveyervmay betransferred from place to place and readilyv positioned for operation with the expenditure of a minimum of time and labor.

vWith this and other objects in View the in-A vention consists of 1 certain novel constructions, combinations,"andarrangements fof parts, as will be hereinafter fully described and claimed. g

In the accompanying'drawings,Figu1-e 1 rep-. resents a View in Vside elevation of a portable conveyer embodying the features of `my presn ent invention. Figs. 2, ,3, and 4 represent en;

larged fragmentary views, in side elevatin,of the same, the three figures together completing the entire length of th'econveyer. Fig. '5 represents detail transverse sections through portionsof the frame-rails; Fig.' 6, a view in top plan of the power-.transmitting pulleys and surrounding parts, and Fig. 7 represents an end elevation of the conveyer. Fig.`8 represents an enlarged detail fragmentary View of the cleaning-brush.

vIn the art to which my invention relates it has been found desirable to provide a conveyer adapted tobe positioned close to the base upon which the articles rest which are Y to be conveyed', and in orderto produce such a structurel have provided,asi seen in thedrawings, a conveyer, asl, .having-one, endr beveled, as at 2, on its under face, producing a comparatively sharp nose, as 3, the/opposite end, asiat 4, being preferably comparal tively wide, but Vrounded at'the corners, as

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,rnentf Suitable diagonal braces, as 9 9, preferably angle-irons, connect each of the upper T.- rails with its respective lower rail, whereby a rigid framework is-.formed At veacheud of the framework isrotatably mount- .ed a carrier-pulley, and transversely of the f' rails t5 and mounted'thereuponare arranged anyA suitable number` of intermediate supbelt, as 11, which beltpassesfover said supporting-rollers, the end pulleys, and is supported above the lower rails7 by supporting-rollers, as 12 12, arrangedupon'said'rails 7, vsimilarly to rollers v-upon rail 6, and in anysuitable number, but preferably comparatively few. y l

The lcarrier-pulley, asl, at the large end 4 of the framework is.k preferably of comparatively` great diameter and is provided with a f shaflgas 14, upon which it rotates, said shaft being preferably supported in slide-bearings, as 15 each slidahly heldbetween lthe lower faceof its respective railr6 and a suitable rail, as' 17, arranged parallel to said rail 6 and spaced'therefrom. A suitable bolt, as'18, isA

preferably rotatably' secured to bearing 15 Aand is threadedthrough a'fixed brace,=as 19,

and provided near its outer endwith an enlargedsqua'red portion, as 20, designed to be grasped by a suitable tool for rotation, whereby pulley 13 may be moved back 'fanjd forth and the tautness of belt l1 governed. f It will lbe seen that-this arrangement' makes it possible to have pulley lcomp'aratively large and only a comparatively small portion'of its periphery project beyond the plane of the two upper rails 6. f

The carrier-pulley, as 2l, at the opposite end of the framework isl comparatively small,- having its shaft of movement, as 22, mounted in suitablev slide-bearings, as 23, each of saidy bearings being slidably held between the up# per face of its respective rail 6 and a rail, as

2,4, arranged parallel to and spaced above rail vporting-rollers, as 10 10, carrying an endless 6 and bent'dowuwardly at the ends, as at 25 25, and secured to said rail, suitable auxiliary braces 26 being employed for strengthening purposes when desired. A bolt, as 27, is rotatably secu red to bearing 22 and is threaded through a fixed brace, as 28, and near the outer end of said bolt, as at 29, is provided an enlarged squared portion designed to receive an operating-tool for purposes of rotation, whereby pulley 21 may be moved back and forth and belt 11 tightened or loosened. It will be seen that by this belt-tightener in connection with the one at the opposite end just described the belt 1l may be bodily shifted in a taut condition longitudinally of the framework for the length of the operatingbolts. It is also obvious that the particular arrangement of the rails 24 makes it possible that the greater portion of the periphery of pulley 21 may extend above the plane of the upper rails 6, whereby belt 1l is held parallel to and above the said rails throughout the length of the conveyer.

Intermediate the length of belt 1l as it passes over rollers 12, arranged in any suitable number, are preferably provided belttighteners, as 30 30, constructed similarly to the means governing pulleys 13 and 2l, each of said tighteners being provided with a roller, as 31, designed to retain belt 11 in contact with rollers 12.

At any suitable point within the framework of conveyer l is mounted a transversely-arranged shaft, as 32, provided with a fixed pulley, as 33, carrying a belt 34, communieating with a suitable source of power, asmo tor 35, mounted within the framework of the conveyer. A second pulley, as 36, is fixed to shaft 32 and carries a belt, as 37, passed about pulley 13 and moving in an annular groove formed therein beneath belt ll for imparting motion to said pulley and belt.

Any suitable number of belt-tighteners, as 38, similar to tighteners 31 may be arranged in the framework of the conveyer, and each is provided with a roller designed to rest upon and hold taut its respective belt, at least one of tighteners 3S being arranged to affect each of belts 34 and 37.

In practice I have found that foreign matter is liable to fall upon the lower portion of belt 1l and be conveyed to and past the carrier-pulleys thereof, whereby the belt is injured, and there is` great liabilty of the same being thrown off its pulleys. To obviate these and other serious results which might arise, I provide any suitable form of brush, as 39, arranged above said lower portion of belt 11 and pivoted, as at 40, so as to normally rest by weight in contact with the belt, whereby the said foreign matter will be removed by coming into contact with the brush. The pivots 4.0 are mounted in a pair of oppositely arranged diagonal braces 9, whereby said brush 39 is yieldingly retained in position, the said brush being preferably V-shaped, as illustrated in Fig. 8 of the drawings, with the apex arranged centrally of the belt and extending in an opposite direction to the movement thereof for directing the foreign matter in both directions to the sides of the belt.

In operation the fact that one end of the conveyer-1 is beveled, as at 2, is highly beneficial, for the reason that the conveyer may be caused to rest upon this fiat bevel, whereby a large bearing-surface is provided, and the opposite end of the conveyer is at the same time extended upwardly, while the lower end lies close to the base supporting the articles to be conveyed. The operation of the conveyer is obvious from the foregoing disclosure, any suitabley conveyer-hooks (not shown) being applied to belt 1l, if desired.

Although I have vspecifically set forth one particular embodiment of the present invention, yet I wish it understood that I do not care to limit myself to the precise form disclosed, but shall feel at liberty to deviate therefrom in all matters of detail within'the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a portable conveyer, the combination with a suitable framework, of an endless belt carried thereby, and a V-shaped brush pivotally supported in said framework in position for resting by weight upon the inner face of the return portion of said belt, substan- .tially as described.

2. In a portable conveyer, the combination with a suitable framework, of an endless belt carried thereby, and a brush pivoted at one end to the framework and resting by weight upon the inner face of the return portion of said belt, substantially as described.

3. Aportable conveyer, comprisinga framework formed of upperand lower parallel T- rails, spaced from each other, and angle-irons forming cross-braces and connecting said parallel rails, the said lower rails leaving their parallelism with the upper rails near one end, but maintaining the same with relation to each other, and approaching said upper rails, thus forming a beveled portion at one end of the frame, which bevel is designed to rest upon a base for supporting said framework, while the opposite end of the framework extends upwardly, a comparatively small pulley mounted in the beveled end of the framework, a comparatively large pulley mounted in the opposite end thereof, and an endless belt carried by said pulleys, the said pulleys being arranged in the framework in such manner relative to each other that their peripheries project the same distance above the plane of the upper edge of the framework, substantially as described.

4. A portable, endless conveyer, comprising a suitable framework, having upper and lower rails and suitable cross-braces, a comparatively large carrier-pulley mounted within said framework near one end thereof, a

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shaft supporting said pulley in position, bearf ings supporting either end of said shaft, a rail parallel tothe` upper rail of the framework at either side of said pulley and spaced from its respective rail beneath the same, each of said bearings being slidably mounted between one of the upper rails and its parallel rail, a brace connecting said rails, a bolt revolubly secured to said bearing and threaded through said brace, and means for facilitating rotation of said bolt, whereby said pulley may be adjusted back and forth,

a comparatively small pulley arranged at the opposite end of said framework to that of the large pulley, a shaft supporting the same, a rod spaced above and extending parallel to each of the upper rails, a bearingslidably secured between each upper rail and its respective parallel rod, each bearing revolubly supporting one end of said shaft, a brace connecting each upper rail with its parallel rod, a bolt revolubly connected with each slidebearing and threaded through its respective brace, and means for facilitating rotation of said bolts, whereby said small pulley may be adj ustedv back and forth, au endless belt connecting said large and small pulleys the construction being such that simultaneous adjustment of both of said pulleys will move said belt longitudinally of said framework, and means for imparting motion to said large pulley, substantially as described.

5. In a portable conveyer, the combination with a suitable framework, of pulleys at either end thereof, vau endless belt carried thereby and having its` return half moving within said framework, and a brush pivoted to said framework and resting by weight upon said return portion of the belt, substantially as described.

6. In a portable conveyer, the combination with a suitable framework, of an endless belt carried thereby, and a V-shaped brush pivotally supported in said framework in position for resting by weight upon the inner face of the return portion of said belt with the apex of the brush extendingin an opposite direction to that of the movement of the belt, substantially as described.

ln testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM LEGGETT MCCABE. 

